


when we were young

by rocketshiptospace



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: High School Reunion, M/M, also a side plot where jace tries to spike the punch, also also a jimon side plot because its me and i cant not, prom but for adults
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28154430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketshiptospace/pseuds/rocketshiptospace
Summary: "Here, this is you,” Izzy rummages through a few pictures and then holds up a photo of Alec’s freshmen class. He spots himself immediately, shyly smiling to the camera. Next to him is a boy with spikey black hair and a toothy grin. Alec swallows, and decides that if he’s going to ask, he should do it now.“Is eh,” he runs a hand through his hair. “Is he coming?”Izzy’s face softens. “I’m sorry, Alec, I don’t know. A lot of people RSVP’d. I didn’t check all of them.”Alec looks anywhere but at his sister. “Right.”Or, Alec and Magnus were best friends in high school, but haven't seen each other for 10 years. Their high school reunion might finally put an end to that.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 7
Kudos: 208
Collections: SHBingo 20-21





	when we were young

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the bingo square: high school au :)

Alec truly never expected to be back here. He looks tentatively up at his old High School, the big grey building looming over him. Like many of his classmates, the second he graduated he left the school behind him and never looked back. But The Institute is celebrating its 100th birthday, and as part of the celebration all old students are welcomed back for some sort of insane version of Prom night. Alec wasn’t planning on showing up, especially seeing how his own Prom night went, but Izzy somehow landed a spot in the organizing committee and he’s man enough to admit he simply cannot say no to his sister.

So here he is, looking out over a school yard he hasn’t seen in ten years, trying to muster up the courage to step inside the building. Eventually he takes a deep breath, and joins the throng of people already waiting to get in. So far he hasn’t recognized anyone, but perhaps that’s for the better.

Inside, however, it does not take long for his sister to spot him. She’s wearing an absolutely gorgeous flour length red gown, and she pulls him into a big hug. “Alec! You made it! That’s great, you can try and stop Jace from spiking the punch. Can you believe he’s even trying to do that? It’s an adult party, he can just _buy alcohol at the bar_. Anyway, you look marvelous.”

“You look beautiful, too, Izzy,” he says, kissing her on her cheek. “And I love what you’ve done with the place.”

The old gym is almost unrecognizable, covered in long velvet curtains and sparkling paper stars and moons. There’s a podium, where a band is playing some 80’s song, there’s a bar where people can get fancy cocktails and there’s waiters walking around with plates of food.

“Not really how I remember Prom, though,” he adds, cheekily, and Izzy hits him.

“Oh shut up. It’s Adult Prom, it’s allowed to be a bit fancier,” she says, and steers him away from the gym towards the hallway. “You haven’t even seen the coolest part though. Look.”

When Alec steps into the hallway, he’s blown away. There is dozens of strings dangling from the ceiling, each a photo attached. The walls are covered in photo’s as well. He sees some familiar faces peeking at him from the photos and some he’s never seen before. “Izzy, this is _insane_. How many pictures are there even?”

Izzy flips her hair over her shoulder. “Enough. It took a few months, collecting all of these. There was a hundred years to cover, after all. But it looks great, doesn’t it? Here, this is you,” she rummages through a few and then holds up a photo of Alec’s freshmen class. He spots himself immediately, shyly smiling to the camera. Next to him is a boy with spikey black hair and a toothy grin. Alec swallows, and decides that if he’s going to ask, he should do it now.

“Is eh,” he runs a hand through his hair. “Is he coming?”

Izzy’s face softens. “I’m sorry, Alec, I don’t know. A lot of people RSVP’d. I didn’t check all of them.”

Alec looks anywhere but at his sister. “Right.”

Suddenly Izzy’s phone beeps and she curses. “I have to take this, you go take a look around, I will see you later.” She disappears in a cloud of swishing red fabric.

Alec’s left standing in the hallway, alone, staring at the picture, lost in memory.

\--

Alec’s first week of school was going absolutely terrible. Which was a bit of a rude awakening, because he didn’t _think_ it was going to be this way. He had Jace at his side, after all. Except Jace had this charm about him that immediately got him an in with the popular crowd, and even though he constantly invited Alec to join, it wasn’t really the kind of people Alec felt comfortable with.

So it was mostly just him, trying to get through the day while talking to as little people as possible.

Which was going pretty well, so far. His fellow classmates quicky realized he wasn’t the talking type, and left him mostly alone. That’s how he got all the way up to picture day, only to realize that not talking to anyone also meant no one really wanted to stand next to him for the class group shot. Not because they didn’t like him, per se, but because they all clumped together with their friends.

Which left Alec just sort of awkwardly hovering at the edges of all these cliques. He was just considering if he could just hide out in the bathroom for the duration of the pictures, when someone tapped on his shoulder.

It was Magnus. Now, Magnus was a bit of a weird kid, in a good way. He was loud, and flamboyant, and had a dress sense that far outshined that of the average male teenager. But he was also extremely sociable, and seemed to have an instant connection with anyone. Except for with Alec.

So far.

“Terrible, isn’t it? I hate picture day,” Magnus says, amicable, like they had been friends for years.

“Uh, yeah,” Alec answered, kind of flummoxed for words. “It’s uh. It blows.”

Right. He was suddenly reminded of why he didn’t really talked to people. He absolutely _sucked_ at it.

“You look great, though, you have nothing to worry about,” Magnus continued, completely unbothered by Alec’s lack of communication, “Michael, however… God he’s going to regret that haircut in a few years, isn’t he? Hey, did you finish the math homework already? I got really stuck on that last question, that doesn’t bode well does it? It’s only the beginning of the year.”

Alec runs a hand through his hair, self-consciously, “Uh, yeah, I uh, I did finish, actually.”

Magnus’s eyes lit up. “Oh man, that’s great! Could you show me how you did it, later? We have homeroom sixth period, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I uh, I could do that,” Alec says, smiling shyly. Magnus’s face lights up and he launches into another, frankly unprompted story.

Maybe picture day wasn’t so bad after all.

\--

Alec lets go of the picture and slowly makes his way back into the gym, where more and more people are gathering. He vaguely remembers promising Izzy to keep an eye on Jace, and scans the crowd for his brother. He finds him, predictably, near the table with punch.

“Come on,” he says, grabbing Jace’s arm and dragging him away.

“Nooooo,” Jace says, making grabby hands at the punch table. When he realizes his efforts are futile he straightens and glares at Alec. “Izzy put you up to this, didn’t she?”

Alec snorts. “She did mention you might try something, yes.”

Jace sighs, “God, that woman is no fun. Anyway, how are you holding up?” 

“Terrible,” Alec says, scrunching up his nose. “I hate these things.”

Jace snorts, “I know you do. I’m pretty sure the only reason you ever showed up to Prom was because Magnus dragged you. Hey, speaking of, you guys still talk? Is he going to be here tonight?”

“No,” Alec says, not elaborating further. He glances across the crowd. He’s not even sure if he _wants_ Magnus to show up tonight. What would he even say? Would it be like old times? Does he even _want_ it to be like old times?

Jace doesn’t push, mostly because he’s distracted by one of the waitress walking past with a tray. “Ooh, Alec, look! Mini cupcakes. You want one?”

Alec gingerly grabs a mini cupcake and thanks the waitress. It’s a delicate little number, with white frosting and little blue sugar stars. It reminds him of-

“Hey, remember that time you and Magnus made like, three million cupcakes for that fundraiser? Man, those were so good.” Jace says, taking a bite out of his cupcake. “Anyway, I think I just saw Clary, I’m going to go see how she’s doing, talk to you later bro.” And off he goes, leaving Alec alone with his cupcake and his memories.

\--

Alec is still not sure how Magnus talked Alec into joining the cheerleading squad in their Sophomore year, but he did. He fully expected not to be accepted, due to the fact that he’s not in any popular social circles whatsoever, but apparently he ‘had the arms’. So now here he is, in the middle of Magnus’s parents _ridiculously_ large kitchen, baking cupcakes for their school’s fundraiser. The squad decided to do a bake sale, and Magnus offered to do the cupcakes.

Apparently that meant _Alec_ was doing the cupcakes as well.

To be fair, that is kind of how it’s been for the past year. Wherever Magnus was, there was Alec, and the other way around. Ever since that faithful picture day where Magnus had asked for help with his math homework, they had been inseparable.

“Okay so we have the pink frosting, the blue frosting, and then I also wanted to do green frosting, or do you think doing yellow is better?” Magnus asks, squinting at the counter, where multiple bowls and trays are standing.

“You could do purple and make the bi flag,” Alec offers, peering through the glass of the oven to see how the cupcakes are doing. When there’s no response from Magnus he looks up, only to find Magnus staring at him, a little dazed. “What?”

“Nothing,” Magnus says, voice weird. “I guess I’m just not used to people mentioning that I’m bisexual so casually. So positively.”

Alec feels his heart clench. Magnus had come out not too long ago, and not everybody had taken it as well. His already strained relationship with his father had become even more strained, and while Magnus had always been lightly teased at school for being different, it now sometimes erred on outright bullying.

“Well, that settles it then,” Alec says, walking over to the counter and grabbing the last bowl of white frosting. “Purple it is.”

(No one at school seems to notice that they frosted the cupcakes in the colors of the bi flag, but Magnus is beaming all day and Alec has come to realize he would move mountains if it meant Magnus would smile like that. Although he isn’t ready to explore what that means, exactly. Not quite yet.)

\--

“Alec!” Someone shouts, pulling Alec out of his thoughts. He looks up to find Simon bounding towards him, big smile on his face. “Hey man, good to see you here, how are you?”

“Good,” Alec says, “You?”

Simon beams. “Good, good. Nice to be here, good to see everyone. Hey, uh, so I heard this rumor that Clary and Jace broke up, is that true?”

Alec suppresses the urge to snort. The only reason him and Simon ever were friends was because Izzy was friends with Clary and Clary and Simon were a package deal, just like him and Magnus were. Jace and Clary had an on again of again relationship all throughout high school, but broke it off a few years into college. They were friends now, and Alec figures it’s for the better. He’s not really surprised Simon asks after them. He was fully aware of the way Simon used to look at Jace.

“I thought you and Clary were the best of buds? Did she not tell you?”

Simon face falls. “We, uh, we kind of fell apart after high school, I guess. It was just. She and Jace, it was hard to… We went to different colleges you know? Just never saw each other again. I guess our bond just wasn’t as strong as yours and Magnus’s. Speaking of, how is he?”

It’s Alec’s turn to frown. “We don’t really speak anymore.”

“Really?” Simon asks, looking skeptical. “I just thought…” He doesn’t finish his sentence and their conversation falls into an awkward silence.

“Jace is single,” Alec eventually says. “That’s what you came to ask me, right?”

Simon’s smile returns, albeit a bit bashful. “Uh, yeah. Thanks, do you know where…?”

He looks at Alec, who points in the direction he last saw Jace. Simon slaps his shoulder, “Thanks, dude. I owe you one,” and disappears int the crowd, leaving Alec alone once again. Suddenly feeling suffocated by all the people around him, all these people asking him question about the one person he wishes to forget, he moves back to the hallway.

Wandering around the mostly deserted hallway, dodging a few pictures here and there, Alec regains his composure. He’s rattled by the grip Magnus still has on his heart, even after all these years. He thought he was over it. He went on dates with other men, he started a career, he _moved on_. And yet, here he is, all the way back at the start, and his feelings haven’t changed at all.

He comes to a standstill in front of the trophy case. There’s a bunch of new additions, won by the students that came after him, but there’s also a few he recognizes from his own time here. One in particular stands out to him. It’s a football cup, and he remembers the exact night the team won it.

\--

Alec is freezing his absolute ass off in his flimsy cheer outfit, but he barely cares or even notices. All he can focus on is the figures moving across the field, inching The Institute closer and closer to the win.

“Oh my god, they’re really going to do it, oh my _god_ ,” Magnus is yelling into his ear, before leading the squad into another cheer. It’s weird, none of them are actually _on_ the football team, but yet they are feeling _ecstatic_.

Suddenly the final whistle sound and its over and they _won_. The football team is celebrating by creating a giant pile of humans in the middle of the field and all around him cheerleaders and jumping up in down in joy.

“WE DID IT,” Magnus bellows next to him, and suddenly he has his arms full of overly excited Magnus.

Alec can’t help himself, finds himself getting swept up in the celebrations, and lifts Magnus up, spinning him around while laughing loudly. When he puts him down again, Magnus is beaming at him, and Alec is beaming back, and suddenly he feels overwhelmed by _love_. Pure, unadulterated, all consuming _love_.

Magnus is too busy celebrating to notice Alec stumbling back, bumping into one of the other cheerleaders, who takes it as an invitation to hug him and yell in his ear. He barely hears her, too stunned by his own revelation to notice anything going on around him.

He’s _in love_ with Magnus.

Fuck.

\--

Alec stares at the cup for a long time, lost again in that feeling of love, and the dread that came with it. The panic, the fear, the desperation. He’s in a much better place now, much more comfortable with his sexuality, but he still vividly remembers how much he struggled, in the beginning.

He’s brought out of his thoughts by Izzy’s voice, floating from the gym, making an announcement. Alec shakes the feeling off and returns to the gym, mixing in with the other people again. Izzy’s still talking on stage, thanking people who made this event possible, and Alec looks around to see if he can find Jace, just in case he’s trying to spike the punch again.

“And now, I would invite all the couples to the dance floor for a slow dance!” Izzy announces, and then a song starts playing, making Alec stop dead in his tracks.

It’s a song he hasn’t heard in _years_ , has purposely avoided, because it all brings him back to that night, _that one night_ things all went sideways.

_“One look at you…”_

\--

“Holy shit, can you believe that this is our _senior prom_?” Magnus exclaims, bouncing on his heels. He looks absolutely radiant, wearing a deep burgundy suit and a matching bowtie, and Alec hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off him since he picked him up at Magnus’s house. They’re standing in the gym now, music blasting from the speakers and their classmates milling about.

Alec’s palms are sweaty, have been since they’ve arrived. This is it. This is the night he’s _finally_ going to tell Magnus that he’s gay. That he’s in love with him. It’s now or never, before they graduate and go off in different directions and possibly never see each other again.

Magnus is still chattering excitedly next to him, pointing out decorations and people and Alec is happily nodding along. He’s beautiful like this, full of energy and light. Alec wishes he could put this moment in his pocket and replay it on the days he felt sad.

“We should go dance, do you want to dance?” Magnus says, not waiting for an answer but already dragging Alec towards the dance floor.

Alec goes along willingly, awkwardly bobbing along to the music. Suddenly, the song changes, and it’s a slow song. Around them, people couple up, and start slowly moving to the beat. Magnus and Alec find themselves frozen for a moment, but then Magnus moves forward, confidently, and grabs Alec by the waist.

And that’s how Alec finds himself slow dancing with Magnus on prom night.

It’s everything he’s ever wanted and more, Magnus close to him, smiling at him, close enough to kiss…

The song ends and they abruptly break apart.

“Magnus…” Alec starts, not sure where he’s going, but knowing that he needs to say _something_ , before he loses his nerve.

“I’m moving,” Magnus suddenly blurts out. “To England.”

Alec blinks. “What?”

Magnus is refusing to look at him, instead looking at the floor. “My father. He thinks America is a bad influence on me. We’re moving to England, so I can go to university there. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

Alec feels like someone tipped a bucket of ice over his head. “Tomorrow?” Is all he can stutter out.

“Yeah,” Magnus finally looks at him. He looks sad. “I’m sorry.”

Alec’s not sure what he’s apologizing for. All he knows is that his heart feels like someone pulled it through a shredder and then drove the remains. “We can call?” He says, but it sounds weak. Of course they’ll call. They’ll text, they’ll email. As friends. And then that will slowly fade over time until they are nothing but a fond memory to each other. Alec feels like he’s going to throw up.

“Yeah, of course,” Magnus says. “Every day.”

They both know it’s a lie. That’s the worst of it, both of them know this is the end but neither is man enough to admit it. Alec swallows. “I’m going to uh, go find Jace. He, eh, he had plans to spike the punch and Izzy, she told me to keep an eye on him, so. I’m. I’m going to do that.”

He walks away, and doesn’t look back. It’s the last time he sees Magnus.

\--

_“I get to love you, it’s the best thing that I’ll ever do.”_

The song is already halfway when Alec is shaken out of his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder. He turns around, expecting Izzy, or Jace, or hell, Simon again, but instead he’s met with a face that makes his breath catch in his throat.

“Magnus?” It comes out hesitant, like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing. And he can’t, not really. It’s surreal, seeing Magnus right in front of him after so many years. He looks fantastic, in a deep green velvet suit that fits him like a glove. His eyes sparkle and his smile is soft and even after all these years Alec is still so incredibly ridiculously undeniably in love with him.

“Alexander,” Magnus says, softly, “may I have this dance?”

Alec takes his extended hand without hesitation. “So,” He starts, suddenly feeling rather awkward, as they sway on the spot. “How are you?”

“Great, I’m great.” Magnus says, “Moved back to America a few weeks ago, started a business right in the city, it’s a nonprofit. You?”

Alec smiles softly. Magnus has always had a heart that was too big for his body. “Never left,” he says, and when Magnus flinches he realizes it comes across kind of accusatory. “No, it’s not. I just found a job with my parents company and sort of… Never left town.” He finishes awkwardly.

Magnus smiles, but it’s weak. “Of course. And how’s the wife? Did you bring her?” He cranes his neck to look around, presumably searching for a woman that’s looking fondly in Alec’s direction.

“I’m not married,” Alec says. “I’m single, actually.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I just assumed…” Magnus trails off awkwardly, but Alec gets it. Growing up, Alec always was a man of tradition. Still is. It’s not weird for Magnus to assume he would be married by now with a white picket fence house and 2,5 children.

“No, it’s okay,” he says. Then he thinks about how Magnus brought up his non existent wife so quickly, fishing for his relationship status. He thinks about their friendship in high school, about prom night, about all the things they left unsaid. “Actually,” he adds, “I’m gay.”

Magnus doesn’t look surprised, but he is smiling. “Seems that birds of a feather flock together after all.”

Alec laughs. “Yeah, who would’ve thought, huh? Anyway, what about you? Anyone you want to introduce me to?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Magnus says, smile tight. “Work keeps me busy, I guess there’s just never time…”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Alec says. He too struggles dating while keeping up with the extreme workload his parents put on his shoulders. He would like to find someone, for sure. But there just never seems to be the time. Or, he has never met someone who makes him want to _make_ the time.

The song has ended at this point, and they just sort of awkwardly hover in the middle of the dance floor, while everyone around them is jumping around and dancing, laughing loudly. It’s weirdly reminiscent of their last prom, where Magnus told Alec his heartbreaking news, but this time it doesn’t feel sad, or earth shattering.

It feels hopeful.

And with that feeling of hopefulness nestled into his bones, Alec turns to Magnus. “Hey, would you be free for a cup of coffee tomorrow?”

Magnus beams. “You know what, I think I am.”

“Great,” Alec says, smiling widely. “It’s a date.”

(Later, when the night is over and he’s helping with the clean up, Izzy comes over to him and hands him a stack of photos. “Here,” she says, “It’s all the ones that have you and Magnus on them.”

Alec looks at them. There’s the class picture he saw in the beginning of the night, a picture of the bake sale and Alec and Magnus’s bi cupcakes, a picture from the football cup win of the cheer squad, and an awkward prom picture of the two of them.

The last picture is a polaroid, taken that night, by one of the photographers walking around. It’s Alec and Magnus, slow dancing. They’re smiling softly at each other, and the photo captures perfectly what Alec hopes this is.

A new beginning.)


End file.
